Conventional information tracking systems have limitations that preclude obtaining meaningful customer and visitor analysis information pertaining to Web sites. In particular, useful analysis information about a request for a Web site, and analysis information associated with a data request initiated at a Web site, either can not be determined or obtained with conventional systems, or can not be determined or obtained without an impact to a customer of a particular Web site.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional tracking system 100 to record that a Web page has been requested for viewing by a user. Tracking system 100 has a client computing device 102 connected to a display device 104. The display device 104 displays a Web page 106 having a selectable data link 108, such as a hyperlink.
The client computing device 102 is connected to a Web page server 110 via a network connection 112, such as the Internet. Web page server 110 provides Web page structure 114, and information for display within the Web page structure. Web page structure 114 includes a standard script redirect function 116 that generates tracking information when the Web page is requested. The Web page server 110 is connected, or includes, a data storage device 118 that stores the tracking information.
When a user of the client computing device 102 selects the link 108 within Web page 106, client computing device 102 communicates a request for Web page 114 to Web page server 110. The redirect function 116, which is implemented at Web pager server 110, generates tracking information to indicate that Web page structure 114 has been requested, and where the request came from.
With the conventional tracking system 100, each section of Web page structure 114 is recorded in the data storage device 118 as a separate data record, and each section is associated with the user of client computing device 102. That is, all of the page sections (also commonly referred to as “page views”) for a particular requested Web page are logged with the tracking system 100, and each page section is associated with the user request for the Web page. This only identifies that the user of client computing device 102 requested Web page 114.
With conventional tracking system 100, information pertaining to selectable link 108, Web page 106, and a location of selectable link 108 within Web page 106 is not determinable. Additionally, a response to the user's request for Web page 114 is delayed when script function 116 has to first determine the tracking information, and initiate the tracking information being stored at data storage device 118.